Sample holder and easel therefor



SAMPLE HOLDER AND EASEL THEREFOR Filed Aug. 14, 1936 11v VENTOR A704? T/A/ STEM 7M9;

BY If 2 A TORNEK Patented Sept. 14, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in display devices and has particular reference to a holder for samples, display cards and the like, and an easel therefor.

An object of. the invention is to provide an improved display device of simple and practical construction wherein the body of the device consists of a holder having an intermediate supporting section to which is pivotally connected two cooperating cover sections adapted to enclose samples, cards and the like within the holder, and wherein said body is further provided with an easel adapted to support the device in a position in which the contents may be conveniently displayed.

The above and other objects will appear more clearly from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the inventive idea.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device with one of the cover sections thereof in its open or display position.

Figure 2 is a vertical section therethrough, and

Figure 3 is an edge elevation, partly broken away and shown in section.

The holder of the present invention is shown as comprising an intermediate section 5 which may be of cardboard or other suitable material and which is adapted to support groups of sample cards 6 or the like arranged side by side thereon.

Secured to each of the side edges of said section 5 is a spiral binder I to which the cards 6 of one group is connected so that said cards may be individually turned. Each binder I also constitutes a hinge connection between said section 5 and a cover section 8 so that the latter sections may be conveniently swung to open and closed positions, as indicated in Figure 1, said sections 8 being made of. the same material as the section 5. When closed, each section 8 covers the group of cards disposed on the adjacent side of the supporting section 5, and said sections 8 lie in the same plane with their free side edges meeting, but not overlapping, so that either one of the cover sections may be swung to open position without interfering with the other. The front of each section 8 may be in the nature of a frame provided with an opening 9 having a transparent cover I beneath which may be placed a sheet I I containing a suitable illustration or advertising indicia. Said sections 8 may be of equal or different sizes depending upon the size of the sample cards 6, but in any event the combined areas of the sections is equal to that of the intermediate supporting section 5.

In order to support the holder proper in an inclined position as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the device is provided with an easel. This easel is shown in its preferred form as comprising a backing sheet I2 which may be of cardboard or the like and which is of slightly less area than the section 5 to which it is adhesively secured on the back surface thereof. A second sheet I3, of 10 the same length as the sheet I2 but of considerably less width, is secured along the upper edge of the latter sheet, and has pivotally connected to its lower edge the supporting sheet I I, the combined areas of the sheets I3 and I4 being 5 equal to that of the sheet I2. Connecting the bottom edge of the sheet I2 with that of the sheet I4 is a bottom for the easel consisting of the two hingedly connected sections I5 and it which are adapted to fold inwardly, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 2, when the device is not in use. To pivotally connect the sheets I3 and I4 with each other and to similarly connect I the sections I5 and IS with the sheets I 4 and I2, respectively, a single outer flexible lining I! of cloth, paper or other fabricated material is secured to the outer surfaces of the various elements in covering relation thereto, with the upper and lower edges of said lining interposed between the section 5 and the backing sheet I2, as indicated at I8. A single inner lining I9 is also provided for the sheet I4 and sections I5 I and I6 of the easel bottom and, as will be noted, this inner lining cooperates with the outer lining H in forming the hinge connection between said sheet and sections, while the lining I! also pivotally connects the sheet I4 with the sheet I3 and section I5, and the section I6 with backing sheet I2.

What is claimed is:

In a display device of the character described, an intermediate supporting section, two end cover sections pivotally joined to said intermediate section and foldable to closed position with their outer edges meeting in non-overlapping relation, means to pivotally connect said cover sections to said intermediate section and to which articles to be displayed are pivotally connected, an easel for said device comprising a backing sheet of substantially the area of said intermediate section secured to the rear surface thereof, a second sheet superimposed upon said backing sheet,

a supporting sheet hingedly connected to said second sheet for swinging movement toward and away from said backing sheet, said second and supporting sheets having a combined area equal to that of said backing sheet, a bottom for said constituting the hinge connection between'the last named sheets, and further forming a. pivotal connection between the inner' adjacent edges of said bottom sections and between the outer opposed edges 01 the latter and said supporting and 5 backing sheets.

MARTIN S'I'Em'I'I-IAL. 

